Davide: No Suspension of Jail Visits
Despite last Friday’s surprise search that yielded suspected drugs, drug sniffing paraphernalia, cellular phones and cash, Cebu Gov. Hilario P. Davide III will not suspend jail visits at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).
The governor said that the seized contrabands inside the facility have been decreasing through the years, and he denied reports that the CPDRC is the source of illegal drugs.
Last April 27, a joint team from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7, police and jail officers conducted a greyhound operation at the CPDRC that resulted in the confiscation of 41 sachets of suspected shabu
valued at P11,000, assorted drug sniffing paraphernalia, 51 cellular phones, and P94,388 cash. Inmates claimed that the cash are proceeds of their canteen.
Cellular phones are allegedly being used for transactions by those involved in the illegal drug deal. “Mao bitaw mag-problem ta diha sa cellphone gyud (That’s the reason why we are having problems with the presence of cellular phones),” said Davide.
Asked if he will suspend the visiting privilege of inmates’ families and loved ones, Davide said no. “Sige man ang dalaw (Jail visits will continue),” Davide said.
He added that there are people who tried to sensationalize the incident by giving false reports. “You should get that (news) from people inside,” Davide told reporters.
According to Davide, police and jail officers are tracking down the peddlers who are involved in the smuggling of illegal drugs inside the facility.
Davide pointed out that the quantity of illegal drugs confiscated inside the CPDRC has been decreasing since August 2016. Five cases against jail officers are also being investigated by the Provincial Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI).
PDEA 7 operations officer Earl Rallos, who joined last week’s greyhound also noticed that fewer illegal drugs were confiscated in recent raids.
“It only shows that the management of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center has been very strict, and that’s why we have minimized the entry of contrabands here,” Rallos was quoted in local dailies.
